Wall Street Journal has some harsh words for the new Treo running Windows Mobile 5.0. The author who originally carries the older Treo 650 says that the new one, despite some nice new features, the Windows Mobile software is still inferior to the Palm software for one-handed use on the go. Its crucial email and phone functions are also weaker. And there’s a serious bug in its email software that affects individuals, though not corporate users. In addition, the screen on the 700w offers significantly lower resolution than the screen on the 650, and the new model costs twice as much — $400 versus $200.

For individual users, the main advantage of the new Treo 700w is that it is the first Treo to work on Verizon’s high-speed EV-DO network. That network delivers data speeds that rival those of home DSL lines. But the speed advantage will be short-lived, because I expect to see a Palm-based Treo in coming months that can also use the EV-DO network.

At first glance, the phones look nearly identical, though the new 700w is a bit more rounded. The key dimensions are all the same, but the color scheme is a bit different and the 700w has a slightly better keyboard. The individual keys are squarer, with a bit more room between them.

In the end, he concludes that the Treo 700w will appeal to some Windows Mobile fans, and to some corporate IT staffs. But for everyone else, I advise sticking with the Palm-based Treos.